Larry Kehres in Running for Coach of the Year

October 01, 2012

ALLIANCE, Ohio — University of Mount Union head football coach and athletic director Larry Kehres is in the running for the Liberty Mutual Insurance Coach of the Year award.

Kehres earned the 2008 honor after leading the Raiders to an impressive season. His success on the field and his charitable endeavors off the field earned him not only the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year trophy, but also $50,000 on behalf of Liberty Mutual to support the charities of his choice and a $20,000 grant to the University of Mount Union Alumni Association for academic scholarships.

Kicking off its seventh season, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award is the only college football award that supports both charity and scholarship through its winners. It honors one coach in each NCAA division who best exemplifies sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence on and off the field.

Now through December 1, fans can use their PC, tablet or mobile device to visit coachoftheyear.com and post a pre-populated tweet to cast their Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year vote. Fans can then follow the Coach of the Year voting and discussion on Twitter using #COTY2012. Fan votes and an objective scoring model endorsed by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame will determine the finalists, who will be announced December 4 at the National Football Foundation Awards Dinner Press Conference in New York City. The winners will be announced January 7, 2013, in South Florida, in advance of the BCS championship game.

“For the past six years, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award has been leading the applause for good leadership, charitable spirit and on-field success of coaches across each of the four divisions,” said Archie Manning, Chairman of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, which recently announced an extension of its partnership with Liberty Mutual Insurance. “In tandem with the Foundation, Liberty Mutual spotlights elite coaches that make this game so great. These are special leaders who positively influence the lives of the young men they coach, the communities in which they live, and the academic health of their universities.”

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award celebrates college football coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II and Division III for their successful seasons, student-athletes’ performance in the classroom and charitable and civic support in their communities. Each winner receives $50,000 from Liberty Mutual Insurance to support the charity or charities of their choice and $20,000 to award to their school’s alumni association to promote scholarship. Since 2006, Liberty Mutual Insurance has awarded more than $1.5 million to over 90 charities and colleges across the country as part of its annual Coach of the Year Award.